Day-by-Day Review: 2012 Hyundai Genesis R spec

More horsepower than the Infiniti M56 and BMW 550, plus more technology than you can shake a stick at, and all standard on the Hyundai Genesis R-Spec, for less money than a bare-bones Mercedes E-class.

On paper, the $53,499 MSRP Genesis R-Spec beats nearly all of its competitors in all categories, including cargo capacity, leg room, horsepower and more. On paper, the R-spec basically puts the smack down on the Germans and the Japanese — but does it live up to its paper hype?

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That is my job for the week — to dig down into my depth of test drive experience and decide if this Genesis R-Spec feels and performs as well — or perhaps better — than the household nameplates competing for luxury dollars.

As far as I’m concerned, the BMW 5 series is the benchmark in this arena and the Infiniti M certainly brings some value to the table with similar driving dynamics; those are my benchmarks this week for the Genesis R-Spec.

The Hyundai brings lots of goodies to the table: 5.0 L V8 engine with 429 hp sending power through an eight-speed transmission to the rear wheels. It’s loaded on the inside with leather, heated and cooled seats, navigation, lane departure warning system, backup camera, smart cruise control and Lexicon 17-speaker audio system.